Coming Down
by MeiranNataku
Summary: A one-shot offering subtle insight as to how plutonic emotions can lead to something more. This short story treads the line of companionship as Heero takes caring for one of his fellow pilots a step further than their typical partnership had warranted up to that point. A possible 'how it all began' piece.


Your typical disclaimers apply. I do not own Gundam Wing. I am not getting monies.

Pairing: 1+2

Description: A one-shot offering subtle insight as to how plutonic emotions can lead to something more. This short story treads the line of companionship as Heero takes caring for one of his fellow pilots a step further than their typical partnership had warrantedup to that point. A possible 'how it all began' piece.

A/N: Was trying for sweet and subtle. How'd I do? C&C welcome.

**Coming Down**

The ride back into civilization droned on. Heero drove cautiously, his newly procured Jeep slicing through the torrential rain of the night. The canvas top did little to dampen the noise of the weather, and the wipers struggled against the windshield. A chill started in his wrists and ran up his bare arms. He cranked the heat, trying to settle into his seat as he forced himself to relax his grip on the wheel. There was a quivering in his thighs underneath the soaked denim, and he frowned. The adrenaline he'd felt an hour ago was thinning out, but he tried to place some blame on the rain. The smell of wet leather warmed by artificial heat filled the small space and he looked to his passenger.

Arms crossed across his chest, Duo sat silently with his chin tucked into the high collar of his leather jacket. His eyes were closed and his chest moved rhythmically with deep breathing, but he couldn't seem to relax the sharp angle of his brows. Every streetlight glinted the rivulets that ran down his face from his rain soaked hair. After a moment, Duo's eyes snapped open and he reached a hand out to turn the heater vents down towards his legs. His arms crossed again and a shudder ran through his whole body. Heero tried to turn the knob further, but it was already on High.

Slowly, the city lights began passing their windows instead of looming before them. The silent pilots wove their way deeper and deeper into the clutches of the brick buildings, sometimes blowing through red lights, sometimes pausing longer in the dark shadows of the streets. It was not yet early morning, but too late to be the same evening, and the roads were empty. Heero circled a three-block radius around their target building before slipping the car into the narrow alleyway. Duo finally stirred as the Jeep came to a halt and Heero shoved the gear into park.

The long-haired pilot lifted his eyes and surveyed their position. Sighing, he began reaching into the backseat but was stopped with a firm hand on his shoulder. Heero caught his eye and shook his head once, "I got it."

Duo nodded and straightened in his seat again, waiting for Heero to wrestle the duffle bag from the back seat. Once Heero had his keys out in his other hand, they both opened their doors and made for the concrete stairwell in the alley. It was only a few steps away, but the rain hadn't lessened. Any amount of drying they had accomplished in the Jeep was thwarted in seconds, before they could jostle themselves under the cheap awning. Heero made quick work of the lock and opened the door into the darkness beyond.

Duo took one step forward and then stood to the side to allow Heero to move around him in the unfamiliar space. The dark-haired pilot dead-bolted the door behind them and then disappeared into the darkness. A pale light surged from the center of the ceiling and Duo winced as Heero's arm slowly lowering from the light bulb's pull-chain. A quick glance around the room settled the hair on the back of his neck; hair he hadn't realized had bristled in the dark confines of the cinderblock room. No windows, one small door that opened to a tiny bathroom, minimal kitchenette corner, one cot, one couch in shambles. It was a viable bunker in the center of the city.

Heero had stowed Duo's duffel behind the couch, but not before removing the laptop that was inside. He stood in front of the sunken couch, removing the plastic bag from around the machine and set it upon the wooden board that balanced across two milk crates by way of a coffee table. Heero sat on the edge of the couch and began booting the system, then pointed to the bathroom without looking up.

Duo toed off his mud-covered boots and pulled off his wet socks, leaving both by the door. He slowly made his way across the concrete floor, the hem of his pants leaving a trail of water in his wake. It felt like needles, walking across that frozen floor, but he was too numb to care. He started peeling his clothes off before he reached the bathroom, dropping his water-logged leather jacket on the floor and struggling to pull his t-shirt over his head. He was sure Heero wouldn't appreciate him dropping the clothes where they lie, but that was probably low on the list of things he'd done to recently piss off the other pilot. Closer to the top would likely be Duo sending out an SOS several hours earlier, knowing it would end up in Heero's jurisdiction. Heero hated incompetence.

Arms aching with fatigue, Duo made it to the bathroom and continued to struggle out of his clothing. There were nails in the wall, and he hung his black t-shirt and jeans from them before bending slightly to the side until his sopping wet braid fell over his shoulder. He took it in two hands and wrung it over the sink until it seemed his hands couldn't grip it any longer. The brisk air of the cellar sent a wave of chills through his body and he regretted not pulling dry clothes out of his bag on the way to the bathroom. He was fairly certain he had a dry pair of boxers to replace the ice-cold ones around his hips. He slowly turned back out into the room and came face to face with Heero.

Ignoring the way Duo tensed at seeing him, Heero shoved a stack of dry clothes into his bare chest and retreated back into the other room to find his own dry clothes. Once changed, he grabbed a towel from an end table and scrubbed it over his hair, then went back to finish booting the laptop. Several moments passed and Duo sunk down onto the couch beside him. He didn't make a noise, but his body obviously protested the change in position. Duo then huffed out a breath, holding his hands out for the machine. Heero slid it in front of Duo and made to stand, but Duo grabbed him by the forearm and pulled him back down.

"Damn, you're like a fuckin' furnace." He said under his breath, his right hand typing stiffly over the keys while his left he kept pressed against Heero's arm. "Thanks for bootin' me."

Heero nodded once, his eyes resting on Duo's left hand, palm up against his thigh. The skin against him was frigid and he could see the chill in it. He moved to stand again, and succeeded as Duo was concentrating on his status update. Heero moved to a cabinet above the tiny stove and began digging through the linens stored there. No blankets. He grabbed the heaviest sheet there and took several steps to come up behind the other pilot. He stood there for a moment, watching Duo scrub at his face and then resume typing. A moment later Heero tossed the bundled sheet on the cushion next to Duo and then went to take up residence on the cot across the room. It was fitted with an even thinner sheet.

He sat on the cot with his back to the wall, facing the couch, and pulled his own laptop from beneath his pillow. While his machine booted he glanced up through his hair and caught Duo taking notice of the sheet. Amethyst eyes shot to his before looking to the laptop again, "Thanks." Duo said, pulling the sheet across his shoulders.

"Sure."

"I mean… for coming to get me, too." More typing. No eye contact.

"Hn." Heero had nothing to say to that. His machine finished booting and the message that had landed the braided pilot in his tiny living space was still on the screen.

_01- 02 is facing possible compromise. Proceed to given coordinates and retrieve or destroy evidence, as necessary._

Eyes narrowing, he deleted the message and worked to control his circulation before his breathing was altered. Another glance told him Duo hadn't noticed. He set to work with an update of his own.

For some time the only sounds were of fingers flying over keys and the storm relentlessly battering the awning outside. Heero's eyes darted up when he noticed Duo had stopped typing and was sitting back into the couch, studying his screen. Duo was tracking a progress bar of his update being sent. The wifi was atrocious in the bowels of this basement, even after Heero boosted the signal.

A quiet breath escaped Duo's lips and he slammed his laptop shut only a moment before flopping sideways on the couch. He squirmed to bundle himself into the sheet and turned his back to the room. From his vantage point across the small area, Heero could see the strain in Duo's neck, the way his shoulders seemed too rigid and his back too straight for that dilapidated couch. The night had done a number on Duo's nerves, and Heero doubted he was even aware of the tension.

Even through the obvious discomfort, Duo's breathing evened and he fell into an uneasy sleep. Heero continued his watch, attention focused outside towards the alleyway while keeping tabs on news feeds from his laptop. Every couple of minutes Duo would awake with a start, a leg or arm thrashing outward in a violent movement left over from unseen trouble that found him in his sleep.

Eventually Heero closed his laptop and lowered it to the floor. He rose silently and moved to the door, peering out into the darkness and double-checking the locks. He hung Duo's leather jacket on a nail in the bathroom. Reaching for the pull-chain of the light, he looked down over the sleeping boy, noting the twitch in Duo's still-angled brows. With a soft click the room fell to darkness and Heero took up watch against the door, arms crossed as he listened for movement out in the night.

Another rustle from the couch got Heero's peripheral attention just as a soft sound came from Duo's throat. Mumbled sounds moved through sleeping lips before finally choking free at the end of something that sounded suspiciously like 'no..' and Duo sat bolt upright. Heero trained his eyes outside but noticed the way Duo came back into reality, quickly settling his eyes on Heero. The Japanese pilot didn't move, didn't let on that he had overheard the other pilot's nightmare jostling him awake.

Duo wouldn't be fooled that Heero had missed it, but at least he could give him that small amount of privacy.

Another sigh. "Well. I'm done resting." Duo proclaimed dryly, and a moment later the light came back on.

Heero finally turned from the door, "We have a few hours before we can head out. You should sleep."

"Bah." Duo scoffed, working his way to the tiny kitchenette and rifling through drawers. He got to the third drawer and snatched up a deck of cards, then began laying them out right there on the kitchen counter for a game of Solitaire.

Heero's frown deepened and he concentrated on his breathing once again. He watched Duo methodically flip cards and noticed the slight tremble of his hands when he held a card for more than a moment before placing it down. Duo's eyes blinked roughly and the dark circles under them looked harsh against the pallor of his face. He rolled one shoulder slowly, "Hey, you got any aspirin? My head is killin' me."

Heero pushed away from the door and moved around Duo. He could feel a chill coming off of him still, and wondered if he still felt like a furnace standing next to him. He handed over a bottle of water and two pills.

Duo threw back the pills and upended the water bottle, not stopping until it was empty. "Ah, lifesaver. Thanks." His voice sounded low and empty, and he still didn't smile. Not even the fake one he normally used for such occasions. Duo rolled his shoulder again, this time pulling his hand over the protesting muscle and tilting his head back. He jumped when Heero batted his hand away and replaced it with one of his own. It felt near scalding compared to Duo's icy fingers.

"What…"

"Play." Heero instructed, nodding towards the cards and then stepping directly behind Duo. He flung the braid forward over Duo's shoulder and pointed at the cards when Duo continued to eye him suspiciously. Heero placed both hands firmly on Duo's shoulders and applied pressure.

"What?" he objected sternly, "I'm fine… what are you.."

"Play." Heero said again.

Duo stared for a moment longer, brows still deeply furrowed, then put his attention back to the cards in front of him. He laid several more down as Heero increased the pressure with his thumbs, slowly sliding them towards his spine. He repeated the motion several more times, feeling the muscles give just a bit more after each pass.

Still gripping Duo's shoulders with his fingers, Heero lowered the position of his thumbs and pushed upwards, taking a step closer for better leverage. He watched Duo's hands set the cards down and rest upon the countertop. Heero's thumbs repeated the upwards motions and then he pulled his fingers back towards him, rocking Duo back on his heels until his back bumped up against Heero's chest.

A small noise escaped Duo's throat and his head lolled forward, "Fuckin' furnace, Yuy."

"Shut up, Maxwell." his words fell softly, barely heard above the rain.

Heero continued to push and pull with his hands, feeling the heat building beneath them and watching Duo visibly relax his posture. After just a few minutes he was breathing deeply and swayed under Heero's firm touch.

"Alright," Duo conceded softly, turning to escape from between Heero and the counter, "Maybe I _should _sleep." Heero let his hands fall to his sides, but followed Duo towards the couch. He grabbed Duo by the arm and directed him towards the cot.

"Over there." Heero said, pointing.

"I'm not taking your…"

"Lie down."

Duo was far too spent to argue further. He flopped face down onto the small cot with a grunt and then gathered the pillow under his head. Heero had snatched up the heavier sheet from the couch and was throwing it overtop Duo when the braided pilot twisted jarringly, a popping noise coming from his back. He then moved to jerk in the other direction, but Heero stopped him with a knee to his back that pinned him still.

"Stop that." Heero grunted, lifting his knee but replacing it with a steady palm.

"Dammit, Heero-" Duo mumbled into the pillow, "just tryin' t'relax." but he lay still as instructed.

"You're making it worse." Heero paused to make sure Duo wasn't going to try to move again, and then folded the sheet back from Duo's back. His t-shirt had a wet path down the center from the still-damp braid. He gripped the hem with one hand and pulled it towards Duo's head, noting tired eyes settling on him.

"Off. It's wet." He explained, and Duo barely had to lift his arms before Heero had the shirt removed and tossed aside. Instantly, Duo shivered and clutched closer to the pillow.

"Got any blankets in this joint?" his voice mumbled.

Heero didn't answer. He paused briefly, thinking, then began quickly rubbing his hands together. He leaned over and placed each palm on either side of Duo's neck, applying the least bit of pressure when the prone pilot hissed in surprise.

"Lie still." Heero ordered, and Duo sunk back into the cot. The fire from Heero's hands, placed strategically over the blood coursing close to the surface of his skin, radiated outward. Slowly, warmth began to creep into Duo's face, clearing his head enough to appreciate the heat also flowing lower into his chest.

Moment passed with Heero leaning over the other pilot, silently pushing heat into the chilled body. He felt a shudder beneath his hands and again found himself frowning at the American. Heero threw a leg over the prone body and straddled Duo's hips, pressing his palms into the base of Duo's back as he settled into place. For the first time, his motions didn't elicit a complaint.

Wasting no time to make his intentions clear, Heero leaned his hands into Duo's body, sliding his thumbs up the cords of muscle on either side of his spine. They were impossibly tight and Heero noticed the tense set of Duo's shoulders that gave away his discomfort. Heero methodically worked his way around Duo's back, prodding and pushing, noting twinges of pain and assessing deeper injuries.

Duo looked out into the room, unmoving. Heero watched his face for further signs of pain, but after the initial pass there were none. He rubbed his hands together once more and pressed his palms against Duo's lower back. He made a motion to pull away from his spine, then cupped his fingers into the skin and pulled back towards it. He repeated this several times, noting the muscles giving way even as the heat built into the skin. Then he would move his hands slightly further up on his back and repeat the process.

He worked slowly and deliberately, all the while keeping watch over Duo's expression. When he had worked half way up the pilot's back, he noted the casual set of Duo's brow and the way his lid fell half way over his unseeing eye. By the time Heero worked his way back up to Duo's shoulders, he was breathing deeply and his eyes were closed. Heero lessened the pressure of his touches so as not to jar the body beneath him and Duo further relaxed as warm fingers slid over his bare skin.

Heero lessened his presence further by resting his right hand on his own thigh. His left hand moved to glide up the back of Duo's neck, nestling into the base of the now nearly dry hair. His dark blue eyes watched the slack face for any sign of anxiety as his fingers pushed further upward, combing through the hair and slowly pulling free again. He was rewarded with a sound from deep within Duo's chest.

Heero hesitated briefly before repeating the motion, fighting his own chest from releasing a similar noise as his fingers massaged Duo's scalp. Hesitantly, he brought his other hand up and slowly buried fingers into the mass of chestnut hair. A final shudder ran through Duo's body under Heero's touch, and he knew it wasn't from the chill or from coming down off the adrenaline.

Heero retracted his hands to his thighs on either side of Duo's hips and stared at the boy beneath him. He couldn't stop his face from frowning again and wondered how many times that look had crossed his features since first spotting Duo's motionless body earlier that evening. He hadn't thought about it then, merely scooped the unconscious boy up in his arms and carried him back down the trail to his waiting Jeep. Now he was soundly sleeping, and Heero was coming down off his own adrenaline.

He painstakingly raised himself off of the other pilot, bracing one arm against the wall to swing his leg free without waking him. He got both feet on the floor and crept to the center of the room, pulling the cord to set the room into darkness once again. Returning to Duo's bedside, he slowly slid the sheet back up over Duos shoulders and turned to take the couch.

A cool hand grabbed his wrist and he turned to see lazy eyes regarding him from beneath wisps of bangs. They held motionless, eyes locked as the rain outside continued to encase them in their concrete cocoon. Heero watched as his vision slowly adjusted to what little light the street offered, and regarded Duo carefully. The American's grip didn't falter, but his eyes held a tightness in their corners of apprehension.

Heero forgot to ground his circulation, and found his lungs wanting more oxygen as he stood there, being hammered still by that questioning gaze. The cold crept in around them and Heero felt the bottom of his stomach giving out. A quiet voice reached out to him.

"I'd give anything for a furnace in this dump." Duo murmured, fingers still wrapped around Heero's wrist. It seemed an eternity before Heero noticed he had nodded at Duo. His wrist was released and Duo rolled back onto his side, freeing up space on the outside of the cot.

Heero stood there for a moment before removing his t-shirt and reaching for the sheet around Duo's shoulders. Duo helped hold it up as Heero slid underneath before the American's arm nestled between them. They settled into one another, Duo's head tucked under Heero's chin. Slowly, Heero pulled the other pilot closer, one arm under their shared pillow, the other wrapping around a slim bare waist.

Duo slowly exhaled and felt every muscle in his battered body melt, "Fuckin' furnace, Yuy.."

Moments passed and the confused tension in Heero's brows lessened. He relaxed down into the worn-in cot and echoed Duo's slow exhale, his lips brushing the chestnut hair beneath them. A corner of his mouth threatened to tip upward.

"Shut up, Maxwell." Heero whispered, even as the heat slowly built between them.


End file.
